Ghost Town of Helena (Just West of Weaverville)

Darn, I just figured I’d come home and find a whole handy history online that I could post along with these photos. No luck.

Helena is a “ghost” or deserted mining town about 15 miles west of Weaverville.

It is only 1/4 mile off Hwy 299 and so worth the drive.

The building above is the first I saw to the right of the road, though it was the last I explored.

Door was open…

Though why I found this appealing and wanted to venture further, I can’t explain…

I entered a few steps and stretched my arm around to get photos of the rooms off the hall

Ok, maybe not so appealing. But still…

After taking these photos I really wanted to enter the doorways to the right of the main hall but grew nervous.

I asked my husband and/or son if they would come in with me

Both declined. I suppose I should be thankful they don’t consider me a delicate flower needing protection, but this was definitely NOT what I thought at the time. Later, in fact, my son did say he could smell the stench of urine wafting from the house from where he sat in the car.

Accepting that I would have to go without escorts, I grabbed the closest thing to a weapon I could find

Went back into the house and walked through this spooky, kinda scary room (with weird, icky black powdering stuff on the floor). It was much darker and ominous than it appears in the photo with the benefit of a flash.

And see that stuff on the floor on the left in the doorway? Anyway…

I really wanted through that blue door. I did hear a noise once coming from a hole in the ceiling (and screamed, I think) as I walked through the room but kept coaching myself–convinced I would regret it if I didn’t continue. After what seemed an eternity, I reached the other side of the room.

I found a small scrap of paper on the floor (see it) and scooched it over to the black stuff so I could step on that instead. Then I carefully rounded the corner and found…

Yeah, still worth it.

And this is the exterior of the same building -South (?) side

And no. There was no way in hell I was venturing into that basement alone.

Perhaps another day. With more adventurous and less stench-sensitive companions…

I’ve always wanted to get inside of that building. It’s the c 1859 Schlomer’s brick building, also known as The Brewery; home and saloon of the Harmon Schlomer family. A handsome building of 3 stories of brick and stone, built on a sloping hillside, it used to sport a metal ladder outside the wall along with an iron family ‘S’ adorning the brick.

This building and the ghost town– North Fork or Helena), and nearby Bagdad, or what’s left of them– have a rich history of bygone mining and pioneer days. Over $1.5 million dollars in gold were pulled from the nearby mines of the area.

From Dottie Smith’s article:

“Helena was a once-thriving and now picturesque gold rush town nestled in the hills along the Trinity River. Five buildings remain: a stable, a house, a general merchandise store and post office, a feed store and a beer brewery.

“The town was established about 1850 by John and Christian Meckel, who moved to the area and established a home on a group of mining claims that totaled 160 acres. In 1854, the Meckels opened a general merchandise store and later a hotel and a beer brewery. The town was first known as North Fork, but it was popularly known as “Bagdad,” a name given to the settlement reportedly because it was as rowdy and bizarre as the ancient city with the same name on the Tigris River.

“The town became the supply center for gold-mining activity in the area and remained so for more than 70 years. The region was well-known for the gold it mined from the surrounding streams and canyons. By 1855, the town had a general merchandise store, two hotels, a butcher shop, a livery stable, a blacksmith shop, a brewery, a warehouse, several residences, a brick-making facility and a sawmill.

“In 1859, a toll bridge was built across the Trinity River at North Fork, opening the way to Weaverville and fostering town growth. By 1860, new businesses in town included a livery stable, another blacksmith shop, a saloon, a post office and a drugstore. In 1852, the population was about 50; the eventual peak population was about 500. In 1891, the Helena post office was established and named for Helena Meckel, wife of John Meckel. The town soon adopted that name.

“As gold mining died in the area, so did Helena. The area became active again during the Depression, when large numbers of men returned to search for gold. Today, several structures still stand. The two remaining brick structures were made with bricks from the brick-making facility once located nearby.” (Dottie Smith, Record Searchlight 2008)

By far one of the best histories of the area comes from editors/authors Jerry Rohde and Lowell Bennion in their 2000 book, Traveling the Trinity Highway. Mr. Rohde, Bennion, and others, have devoted 6 pages of interesting stories, excellent old pictures (including an old Trinity County Historical Society’s picture of the Schlomer building as Lynette photographed), and a well documented history of the ghost town, North Fork, later known as ‘Old Helena’. I encourage the reader to check out their book. It’s a fascinating and well documented history taken from primary sources– and a delightfully good read. A highlight is the sidebar story, The “Wedding” of Craven Lee, a surprising account of one of the first residents.

Traveling the Trinity Highway notes Helena’s origins: “The first recorded white settlement on this old Chimariko village site comes from John Carr, whose Pioneer Days of California recounts his 1851 trek over the Salmon Mountains to his long-term place of residence, Weaverville. As Carr and his weary travel companions reached the mouth of the North Fork, they stumbled upon four miners playing cards. The foursome had enough dried meat, beans, and whiskey stashed away in their tent to make Carr and company the outpost’s first customers.”

The authors continue with the progress of the town and the intertwining of the Schlomer and Meckel families building the areas first extensive brewery supplying beer. They noted, “… John Meckel (and his brother Christian) started several thriving businesses: a 50-mule pack train (linked to Shasta City), stores on the East and North forks, a hotel, and a brewery. The Meckels imported a German brewer and then packed his ‘heady, hearty’ beer to the mines in exchange for grains of gold dust to put into their money jars. By the early 1860s, the Trinity County Journal could assert that ‘a great quantity of it (North Fork beer) is annually consumed in that section of the county, which accounts for the robust appearance of the populations and their strong Union proclivities.”

I never knew beer could do that.

Traveling the Trinity County Highway added, “… The Meckel brothers launched their first store at Rich Bar or across the East Fork in Store Gulch, near Rich Gulch, where the miners were ‘rich’ enough to keep them in business for about five years. Only then did they retreat to the North Fork and erect a more permanent mercantile. The quartz mines developed north of Rich Bar a generation later proved profitable enough for John Meckel to reopen Schlomer’s basement saloon (known as the ‘Brewery’) and for the Meckel hotel to stay in business until the end of the century. in 1891 the Postal Service established a new post office and renamed it Helena (at husband Christian’s suggestion) to avoid confusion with another California community called North Fork, which ironically, became known as Korbel two years later.” (Traveling the Trinity Highway, Rohde, Bennion, et al., 2001. pp 130-6)

There’s far more to add about historic Helena in their book than space here will allow. You’ll have to read it for yourself.

Here’s the short synopsis of North Fork, or Helena, from Ghost Towns of California by Richard Miller (2001), also containing an older picture similar to the one here by Lynette:

“When it was settled in the 1850s, Helena was known as North Fork. In 1891 the name was changed to Helena to distinguish it from (another) North Fork… A gold mining camp, it served the local miners who prospered in the mid-19th century. Like others, Helena was a wide open town. One building that still stands served as a school in the day and a brothel at night.

“The town survived even after the mines gave out in 1931. But when the new coastal highway from Redding to Eureka bypassed Helena, it never recovered. What was left was bought by F. I. DiNapoli in 1966 for $50,000 undoubtably because of 130 acres of mining claims. The town is still owned by his family.

If you want to go to old Helena, take Highway 299 east; it’s about about 12 miles shy of Weaverville– in Trinity County. Before you come to Big Bar, well, you’re almost there. Watch for East Fork Road and turn left before crossing over the Trinity River bridge. There’s a small, wooden sign on the highway that says “Helena, ¼ mile.” Drive about an eighth of a mile to Helena.

“Ghostly winds still fan the white locust blossoms, but little remains to mark the passing of this mining crossroads save the few ramshackle buildings, the rustic graveyard, and the fond memories of a few aging survivors…” (Traveling the Trinity Highway, p. 134)

Ah yes, Old Helena. Last time I was there, I bumped into a rattlesnake. Growing up, there were more buildings like these around the area, but the Forest Service has taken down most of them. Most were wooden miner’s cabins and such. Not like the brick buildings found here and throughout Trinity and Western Shasta county. A curiosity is where did the bricks come from that built these buildings as well as those in Weaverville and Old Shasta.

From Wikipedia: The community was settled in 1851 as a mining camp. It was known as Bagdad, North Fork, and The Cove before its post office opened in 1891; the post office was named Helena after the postmaster’s wife. The post office was later moved to North Fork.

Thank you, olmanriver. Skippy is humbled in the presence of you, Mr. Rowley, and Lynette– all fine historians and explorers in your own right. Skips is merely a piker. But, I am also wondering: is Mr. Rowley related to Max? Now, there was a fine gentleman and true historian.

There was one down the road from where my parents worked when I was a kid. Though I think it was freshly painted and had clean carpet–so maybe more a vacant rental. Ooops. Anyway, I also loved empty houses as a kid–maybe part of why we like them now…?

Oh yes, my guys are always ready to help. Glad you liked the post. It is such a cool spot. Actually that whole area is. I have pics of Shasta, another old mining town, that isn’t far from this one. Hopefully I’lll post ’em soon. Lot of great history in our area–though much newer than much of the rest of the country.

When I by chance discovered my first entire ghost town – in Spain – it opened a new world to me…The town had been destroyed in the 30ies. Belchite in Aragon. I started searching around for more and found out, that there are many entire towns that are totally deserted. Even Wikipedia has an entire site dedicated to it, with history and locations of Ghost Towns world wide.

Oh, I am so going to check that out. It isn’t so much the stuff for me as what it represents. People’s hands built all of it. It is evidence, sometimes the only evidence, that some people ever existed.

Welcome to far Northern California, WordPress Freshly Pressed Friends. Wanting to see what all the Ghost Town hub-bub was about, I find you (and your sites) have been lifting Lynette’s spirits with your comments of encouragement. Her labor of love, people, and her sharing of history really are outstanding.

Lynette’s NorCal History Blog made it onto the top WordPress list out of 354,530 bloggers today? Awesome. Her spirits will be raised. Thank you. I also hope you have the chance to visit sometime– and see this wild and rugged area for yourself. It’s an adventure traveling back into time, exactly as Lynette photographs and chronicles here.

I love reading about local history, and seeing the old buildings. This is the sort of history that shapes us as people, rather than the broad sweeps of general history books. Thanks for this post, and all the comments!

Wow! This is incredible! I love discovering old ghost towns and there was an awesome one along old Route 66 that I stopped by on my way from Detroit to LA. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a camera with me and I still kick myself over it. Such a bummer. Thanks for sharing this! Brought back a ton of great memories.

Sounds like another road trip is in order some day.
I do think it is cool that so many phones have cameras now, so we aren’t completely without options if we see something cool.
Hopefully you’ll get back to YOUR ghost town (with a camera). Then come back and tell us about it.

I love the pictures and the sense of adventure you took me on. Even funnier was the picture of your husband and son sitting in the car. That would have been my situation as well. Husband and son in the car thinking, “no way” and me looking for a big stick to use as a weapon.

Thanks.
My daughter says the look on my son’s face is typical. Kinda of a uh huh, no way kinda look.

I’m glad the board was there, though I know I couldn’t have done any damage with the darn thing. Maybe I thought I’d keep whatever attacked me at arms length until I could escape.
Oh well, it empowered me and I didn’t get eaten so all is good.
Thanks for the encouragement, though this post will be tough to beat, I think.

I love the pics and the brick house. I am sooo glad you went inside, even if it was an unescorted trip. :-0 Although I will say it sounds like the black stuff could have been mold. ewww! Thank you so much for the journey, and I am looking forward to more of your posts.

Hello there – I found your blog on Freshly Pressed, and just wanted to let you know that my blog has some information about my great-grandmother’s life in Northern California, and her diaries from the 1920s. (All on pages to do with May’s Diaries.) She homesteaded in El Dorado County and Shasta County, and was a cook on a riverboat on the Sacramento River. She was married in Weaverville in 1899 – maybe she went to Helena? Your blog looks so interesting! And congrats on being Freshly Pressed. All the best, Christine

What a nice site you have, Christine. I enjoyed it very much. May’s diaries, the stunning pictures of Balmoral, your beautiful country home overlooking the Willamette, the ‘dafting artist’, Aberdeen… very, very nice. After seeing your pictures, I’d love to travel and see more of this world. Thank you, and all the best to you.

Actually, I bet you do. Call a local historical society and ask.
For me abandoned buildings period hold an allure. I bet you could find something interesting, if not right in town then… somewhere. Happy hunting.

Love your photos and postings about Helena. If you contact Dottie Smith the Historian for Northern California she can tell you a lot about Helena or you can call the Bureau of Land Management in Redding, CA who owns the land. Ilene Emry the Realty Supervisor can tell you all about that area.

Hi,
Thanks for these resources.
It was really visitor skippy that helped pull together a bunch of the town’s info–just check the next post if you are interested.
I may do some follow up myself, as well.

Wow, you’re a brave soul going into that abandoned house… It really does look haunted. Your
first picture is particularly impressive, something about it captured the abstract, haunting beauty of desolation. Have you ever gone into cinematography? I’m dabbling into photography recently after I saw this documentary called Discover The Gift.. it kinda helped me realize my passion and gift is that of visuals. Have you ever heard of it? I recommend it. http://on.fb.me/pQzaaR

I agree.
There are many old logging roads around here and once they are abandoned, the forest just eats them up. Cool in some ways, but spooky in others. Given a few years without us, the earth would just swallow the evidence of our existence, I think.

Hi, love your blog! I also have an affinity with old buildings and places. It always hurts when I hear of buildings getting pulled down (I also cannot resist taking photographs of derelict buildings and learning more about them). We should treasure our historic places. I now live in a 1920’s house (so relatively new, by European standards ;-)) which we’ve been lovingly restoring over the past 9 years. Good luck with your blog!

I don’t know if there are any plans–or who owns it. I honestly figured it was an historic park or something until somebody mentioned trespassing. Oooops.
Maybe this will inspire someone to save it. The floor actually felt quite solid and I bet the building could be salvaged. Lonely there though, as the whole flat is deserted…

I wish I were as adventurous as you. I just love it when history comes alive through someone else’s eyes. It appears the countryside where the falling down around your ears building is located is worth the trip alone . .

Oh, it is so incredibly gorgeous here in Northern California. I truly can’t describe it.
We have the redwoods, coast. Rugged mountains and rivers. Truly beautiful and yes the hills around the runes were beautiful.
As far as the adventure part goes, just ask yourself if you’d regret not going forward. If the answer is yes, then you know what you need to do.

How cool is that! first thing I think is “renovation and restore” a life time of it with my parents!!
My kids would have loved it! we would have been filming “Blair Witch” segments!!
That basement would be awesome for some Supernatural footage!!!
I feel a screenplay coming on …….
Thanks for the inspiration, and Skippy! WOW! nice bit of history!! love it!!

Lynette embodies putting the word unity into community and inviting everyone to take part. As you can see it’s truly her special labor of love weaving together the unusual photographs, fascinating stories, rare resources, and comments. She makes history blazingly alive and real. Poke around the site. You’ll find treasures all over.

Helena – is that Montana? Great photos. I especially like the exterior south side photo. Third photo down, showing the
outdoors from the interior, is also quite good. Looks like twigs growing along the interior wall.

[…] towns are popping up everywhere. That’s why I felt a connection when I looked at Lynette’s photos of Helena. I really wanted through that blue door. I did hear a noise once coming from a hole in […]

You have the same sense of adventure as me! Every time I see an old run-down house or building I just want to spend hours going through it! Love this post! Thank you for sharing this!!!http://thediaryofsugarandspice.wordpress.com/

after the hotel burned down. john the old care taker is the one that was responsible for taking care of the town and when they were rebuilding the hotel he was afraid of losing his job. and if you put 2 and 2 together, it burned down and he still had a job.

Hello. I found this blog when researching Nor Cal ghost towns for a school project. My family and I went to Helena today! We also went in this building and all the others. We saw the now burned down HUGE hotel (Im assuming it was a hotel or a very wealthy person’s home). What remains is a very large brick step entry and a big fireplace hearth, mantle and chimney. Did you see that also? Wow, we had so much fun! It’s fascinating the history here.

I went through all of the houses in that ghost town with a friend last week and we went in the basement. It was really dark but not that scary. In one of the other houses we heard something scratching the wall and we freaked out but I’m pretty sure it was just a mouse. Did anybody else see the old overalls at the top of the stairs in the house with stairs?

I recently went back up to Helena and it is still abandoned. (so sad to see. the water pipe that i put in is still there and putting out fresh water. what kind of info are you looking for. i was not the caretaker when the hotel was being build i was the one after him(he is the one that stopped the construction (afraid he would be out of a job)). i would be happy to let you know any info the town that i know of.

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